I’m afraid that the last keg of my Amarillo IPA will blow any moment, so it is time to brew a new batch. It is a single hop ale, bursting with the flavor and aroma of lots of Amarillo hops – kind of citrusy, mostly grapefruit. This will be the eighth time I’ve brewed this IPA, and it is one of my house ales. The malt bill is very simple and it allows the Amarillos to come through.

I’ll be getting up early tomorrow, lighting the burners on the brew sculpture, making a pot of coffee and mashing in about 9:00 a.m. to try and beat the heat. It is difficult trying to chill the wort to pitching temperatures here in California’s Central Valley in the summer, and starting early helps – even if just a little bit.